SARS cases still on the rise in Brazil’s North and Northeast

The number of cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) continue to grow at a high rate in Brazil’s North and Northeast, whereas the increase in the rest of the country is slowing down. Figures can be found in the InfoGripe report, which surveys trends up to July 16. The study was published today (Jul 20) by Brazil’s research foundation Fiocruz.

The document shows that the South and Southeast of the country faced a surge in SARS cases in April, which started in late May and early June in the North and Northeast.

Nonetheless, the scientists point out that the Southern states of Paraná and Rio Grande do Sul still report an unstable scenario, with an upswing among children.

An upward trend is reported in the last six weeks across 18 of Brazil’s 27 states.

The main virus causing SARS in the last four weeks was SARS-CoV-2, widely dominating the scenario among adults, and surpassing the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) among children. Rio Grande do Sul is the only state where Influenza A continues to have a relevant presence across a number of age groups.